Rising, Falling, Rising Again
by CeliaEquus
Summary: 22 years ago, Phil fell pregnant on a mission when he seduced the Winter Soldier. Now Bucky is back, and wants to find their daughter. What Phil doesn't know is that she's been right under his nose for months. Spoilers for 'AOS' and Bucky's backstory. Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Marvel or 'Agents of SHIELD', nor am I making any money from this. ABO and mpreg.
1. Slipping Up

**Warning: dub-con due to the nature of Omega-verse, and due to Phil's distraction tactics. Some swearing as well, not to mention smut, and discussion about abortion. Relevant warnings will be posted for any chapters which require… well, warnings. Oh, and anything in Russian is being written in English, because I don't know Russian and I don't want to screw up any translations by using an online whatsit.**

"Slipping Up"

_Twenty-two years ago_

There was some lingering pain from the injection of hormones. Phil had undergone the anti-suppressant treatment three days ago, and he was now entering a pseudo-heat.

The team had left SHIELD immediately, and used that time to track the Winter Soldier to his current hideout. A delegation from the Ukraine had arrived for a stopover last night, and rumours of the infamous assassin's whereabouts had led local governments to requesting specialist help. As SHIELD had the most comprehensive file on the Winter Soldier, and was one of the few institutions with Beta field agents as well as the anti-suppressant, they were given the task of joining forces with security officials to eliminate the Winter Soldier. Failing that, distract him sufficiently to get the Ukrainians out of the country. With the Black Widow on the other side of Europe, this made the job a hell of a lot easier.

Rubbing the spot where the needle had been left in him for at least two minutes, Phil managed to ease the pain. He didn't mind playing an Omega. A lot of Betas resented having to take the injection, which was why he was usually assigned this type of job. The Winter Soldier was an Alpha, and without the Black Widow around, it was unlikely he was 'getting much action', as Nick put it. So Phil was the bait. It was his job to seduce the Winter Soldier. As a male Beta, even with the hormone injections there was a zero-point-five percent chance that Phil would fall pregnant, and he'd been lucky so far. Only being on the suppressant for three days minimised those chances further.

"Ready to run?" Agent Sitwell asked. All of the Alphas and Betas in the group had rubbed lotion into the skin under their noses, to block most of the pheromones from reaching them. That didn't stop a few listing towards Phil.

"Absolutely," Phil said. He adjusted the cuffs of his coat and wriggled his toes in their fleece-lined boots. "Don't catch me."

"We won't. But you'd better go now."

Phil nodded, and then burst out of the building, heading away from the town. He had to move fast if he wanted to avoid civilians catching his scent and joining the chase. Agents from other buildings started on his trail, hopefully holding back. If they were… it made Phil wonder how fast they'd run if he really was an Omega on a chase. It was probably the hormones talking, but the idea gave him a thrill, a surge of adrenalin.

He sped up as he reached the forest. The Winter Soldier was rumoured to be in the mountains. If he was nearby, in a better position to assassinate the ambassador, it wouldn't be long before he caught Phil's scent. The dose had been extra-strong, and working up a sweat would—

He thought he heard something to his left. His steps faltered, but then he took up running again. If it wasn't the Winter Soldier or one of Phil's party, he'd take down the Alpha and keep going. If the assassin saw this, maybe the challenge of catching a feisty Omega would appeal to him.

But that wasn't necessary. Phil left the line of trees and heard someone following him. A quick glance over his shoulder caught sight of a metal arm and long black hair. He smirked flirtatiously, and despite the burning in his sides and chest, he forced himself to move faster, now no longer with any destination in mind. He kept sprinting until something rammed him from the side. They hit the snow, and Phil found himself straddled by the enemy.

"Hi," Phil said in Russian. It was barely a breath. "You think you've won?"

"I have."

"You'll have to try a bit harder." He bucked the man off, scrambled to his feet, and set off towards the mountains. The Winter Soldier growled, caught off-guard, but continued his pursuit. Phil laughed. He felt almost free. The opportunity to run like this only ever cropped up on these types of missions.

He was nearly at the rocky face when arms grabbed him around the waist and he was pulled back against a solid chest, an erection digging into his backside. Phil shivered, and turned in the soldier's arms. He tilted his head to the side, baring his neck, and teeth attacked the cold skin. Hot breath sent shivers down his spine, and he obligingly went limp. The Winter Soldier lifted him up, and carried him to his hideout. His nose was nearly constantly buried in Phil's neck, and every so often his tongue would dip down and catch pheromone-laden sweat. Every Alpha was different, and this one was proving to be exciting.

There was a sleeping bag, a backpack, and not much else. No guesses; the rucksack had to be full of weapons. Phil was placed on the sleeping bag – gently, like he was something precious, to be treasured – and he began to strip. He'd already stretched and slicked himself earlier, and removed the plug not five minutes before joining the others. The Omega injection was producing more lubrication, but it wouldn't have been enough. The last thing he needed was to make the soldier suspicious.

Despite himself, Phil's mouth watered when the Winter Soldier's chest was revealed. Nearly all muscle, the torso was marred only where flesh met steel. The chill setting in from being naked began to dissipate as the soldier dropped to his knees between Phil's legs.

"Gorgeous," he muttered. Without warning, he closed his fist around Phil's erection and began to work it. Not that it needed much; another minute, and it'd be over. Phil sat up and moved the soldier's hand away, then tugged him into a kiss. Maybe a bit of warmth from him would draw this out. Thoughts of the Ukrainians disappeared; all that mattered now was sex, and damnit but it was going to happen.

"Are you going to prove that you're more than just a fast runner?" he said. It was reckless, but it worked. With another growl, the Winter Soldier plunged them into a deeper kiss, and pressed Phil down to the floor. The stone was fairly smooth, and the sleeping bag was thick. It wasn't too bad. More comfortable than the camp beds back… and why was he thinking about this when he had a powerful Alpha between his thighs, waiting to screw his brains out?

"Dangerous to run," the soldier said, and he nipped at Phil's neck again. "You could have fallen prey to anyone."

"I got what I wanted," Phil said, canting his hips up.

"What is that, my pretty?"

Phil let his eyes travel down the man's body, and then up again to meet his dark eyes.

"A strong Alpha to breed me," he said, silently thanking all that porn— those training videos. "You'll breed me, won't you?"

The Winter Soldier sneered, and spread Phil's legs further apart. "Mine."

"Fuck." Phil hissed at the fingers stretching him. Judging from the glimpse he got, he'd need a bit more prep. "That's it. That's good."

"You'll go with me."

"Anywhere. Fuck!"

He went deeper, now stroking more than stretching. "Raise our child. Or children. You smell like you'll make triplets. And you have many breeding years left."

"The more… the merrier." Phil grit his teeth and bucked upwards. "Fuck me, Alpha! Three? Screw that. Make it four. Fi-_ive_." That was his prostate. Good God. "Over. And over. All yours."

"_My _Omega." He hooked one of Phil's legs over his elbow, and began to ease inside. Phil gasped, and tried to push upwards. With his other hand, the Winter Soldier held him down. Obviously they were keeping to his pace. Phil wasn't going to argue.

"So big," he said. "God, you're so big. You'll make me so full. You're going to fuck the heat out of me, aren't you? Goddamnit, you're huge. I'll look like I'm ready to burst when you get me all nice and pregnant." He bit his lower lip, aware that half of this babble wasn't even taken from pornos. It was all him. "Do I… get a name?"

"So you can scream it later?" the soldier whispered right into his ear. Phil moaned. "You choose one." Then he bottomed out, and Phil could barely think.

"I don't know," he said.

"Then don't say anything."

Phil nodded. But he groaned deeply when the soldier began to move. Phil clutched his arms, flesh under one hand, metal beneath the other, and held on for the ride of his life. Nearly every thrust hit that bundle of sensitive nerves, and he choked out a cry with each one. Soon, he was back to kissing his Alpha, unable to get enough of the man's mouth, of his erection sliding easily through Phil's passage, of the warmth and strength covering him. He begged for more with each breath, swore in seven different languages, and waited for the knot. It formed quickly, and with one final thrust, the Winter Soldier lodged himself deep inside Phil. The feeling drove him over the edge, and he painted the man's chest with his release. Each time he clenched around the hard shaft, it drew out the climax to the point where he was nearly delirious.

When the soldier came, it coaxed another violent orgasm out of Phil, leaving him dizzy and sated. He felt no burn, not even in the muscles of his legs, as he was lowered to the ground. The Alpha was pumping away, still releasing his seed into the 'Omega' (and Phil was, for all intents and purposes, an Omega). It carried on for an age, with no sign of stopping. Phil began to feel cold, the perspiration on his body beginning to solidify. He shivered, and wished he had the energy to curl up and cling on.

Then the improbable happened. Hips continuing to move – it felt like the knot hadn't reduced in size at all – the Winter Soldier lowered himself onto Phil. He reached over and grabbed some of their clothing, rolled so that they were on their side, and shoved the clothing behind Phil as a sort of barrier from the cold.

"There," the soldier said. "This weather is not good for our children. It makes conception difficult."

"Don't think you have any problem there," Phil said. He was impressed that he was still speaking in Russian. His boss would be proud of him for not breaking character. "You're still going."

"I've been saving it all up for an Omega, just like you." He rubbed Phil's abdomen. "Ours."

"Ours," Phil echoed, staring at the Winter Soldier's face. When the man met his eyes again, Phil cupped his cheek and kissed him, slowly this time. He moved his leg further up around the Alpha's waist, pulling him closer. It jostled the knot, still huge, still solid, still locking them together. Strangely, Phil was glad. It wasn't for the mission anymore. He just didn't want to be separated.

It was tough to remember that this was the enemy, balls-deep inside of him, when the man was being so tender. Kissing him for the umpteenth time – though it was more like clumsily pressing his lips somewhere in the mouth region – Phil secretly wished, for a split second, that things could be different. That the Winter Soldier wasn't an assassin, just an ordinary guy. That Phil was an Omega. The idea of actual heats had always horrified him: the loss of control, the possibility of maternity leave, being bound to one person for the rest of your life based purely on biology…

But lying here, in a protective embrace and gazing into soft eyes, he could see the appeal.

* * *

The knot didn't go down for a couple of hours. By then, exhausted from the running, Phil had gotten some sleep. He awoke to the Winter Soldier trying to pull out, and humming a vaguely familiar tune. Phil switched into Russian again.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"A long time. I kept you warm."

"Thank you." Phil stroked his chest. "You're absolutely breath-taking."

The soldier looked almost amused. "Thank you. And you're glowing, just as you should be." He tried again, and this time, his knot slipped out. Phil felt cold again, and huddled close without thinking about it. The soldier sat up, and Phil climbed into the man's lap, eager for more of those addictive kisses. The Alpha complied for awhile. When he touched Phil's hole, however, Phil shied away.

"A bit sore," he said. "Really. How long were you in there?"

"Enough for at least five children, just as you want." He laved a spot on Phil's neck. "I will take care of you. All of you. Mmm." He caressed Phil's stomach, where there was the tiniest bulge from the sheer amount of release filling him. He was so swollen down below that very little could drip out. "You'll grow, and then grow further. I'll attend to your every desire."

"_Every_ one?" Phil asked in a teasing tone. "That could be quite a lot."

"You'll get everything you want," the Alpha insisted.

"What I want… is to get dressed again. Don't look like that. You can't take me again so soon, and I don't want to catch my death out here."

Reluctantly, the Winter Soldier joined him in pulling on clothes. Then he yanked Phil into what would be their last kiss.

"I must go to the town," he said. "You will meet me there."

"How will you find me?" Phil said.

The soldier touched the same spot on Phil's neck that he'd been so focussed on before. "I will find you, sweetheart. We belong to each other now."

Then he picked up his bag and ran from the cave, clearly expecting Phil to follow at a more sedate pace. Phil's scent must have been strong if the man could smell him from here. With a sigh, and a wince as he began his trek, Phil pretended that he wasn't limping as he headed back to town.

To be on the safe side, he took the long way, calling for extraction. When they met by the side of a road, Phil climbed into the back of the van. He looked up when someone swore, and accepted a mirror. He held it up, and stared at the bite.

"Shit," he said.

* * *

They'd left the area as soon as the Ukraine delegation had departed, and the Winter Soldier had disappeared. There'd been a tiny bit of regret. Phil had to remind himself that the man was dangerous, a murderer, and definitely the enemy. But now he had worse problems.

"I'm sorry," the nurse said brusquely. "But while there's a five or more percent chance that you've conceived, I can't give you the anti-suppressant. The fact that he gave you a Bonding bite knocks the usual rate up to ten percent. Adding to that the time you were knotted, that's another five percent. That you still have a bump," she tapped it with the back of her hand, and Phil glowered at her, "at least another five, maybe ten."

"Well—"

"I'm not finished," she said. "He has been around for decades, or someone matching his description, and he's never aged. That suggests something like the super soldier serum. Taking that into account adds another fifteen percent. The level of hormones was unusually high. You said he was showing protective instincts, and talking like you were already pregnant, not to mention the nesting."

"He was insulating me—"

"He was being an Alpha," she said. "I'd say there's a fifty-fifty chance that you're pregnant. I'm sorry, but you must accept it."

He compelled himself not to hyperventilate. "What do we do next?"

"We won't be able to tell for three weeks or so. Being a Beta – ordinarily – it will take longer for the effects to show. After four weeks, just to be sure, we'll do a blood test. If it's positive, we'll discuss your options. There'll be plenty of time to consider termination."

Phil should have said 'yes, we'll go with that'. But that bump was there, insignificant as it was. And something about how he'd been cradled and cared for so much made him warm inside.

SHIELD wasn't the kind of place where you could raise a baby, let alone the Rangers. He'd have to leave them, and his secondment to SHIELD, if he went through with the pregnancy. Permanently, if he chose to become a single father. But where would he find work?

This sucked.

"I'll think about it," he mumbled.

"Don't worry, Mr. Coulson," she said, her voice softer now. "I've seen this before. Not often, I'll admit, and everyone handles it differently. I know you'll make the right decision, if a decision has to be made."

That was probably supposed to be more reassuring than it actually was.

* * *

A month later, Phil would wake with morning sickness, have a blood test, and a few days later learn that he was pregnant with the Winter Soldier's baby.

Three days after that, Phil would decide against abortion. He couldn't forget the soldier's promises to look after them. No, those promises would never come true, and Phil could never make them happen, either. Not on his own. But someone would give the child a chance to live their dreams.

Eight months later, only a day before the due date, Phil would give birth to a healthy baby girl. He'd get to hold her while he recovered in the hospital; get to feed her, cuddle her, kiss her forehead, fingers, and toes. He'd get to fill out the paperwork about the incident. He'd hum the tune the Winter Soldier was singing, and wonder what it was.

A week after the birth, Phil would nearly die from the pain of being separated from his daughter as he handed her to the agent who would be taking her to an orphanage.

"What is her name?" the female agent would ask.

"She doesn't have one."

When she reached the orphanage, the agent would be humming the tune herself, and one of the nuns would recognise it. That would be how the child was given her name.

But Phil wouldn't know this for a very long time.

* * *

**I'm basing the 'twenty-two years ago' bit on a certain actress's date of birth, plus nine months. She's three years younger than me; I feel so unaccomplished by comparison.**

**Anyway.**

**Enjoy my new offering of Bucky and Phil, with Omega-verse and an illegitimate child thrown in. This is being written before 'Captain America: TWS' is released, so, as with previous Bucky/Phil stories, my information is based on the little I've gleamed through the wonders of the internet and my Marvel character guide. This is non-canon anyway, so there. (Wouldn't it be awesome if this wasn't non-canon, though? Highly unlikely, but if enough of us petition Joss Whedon…)**


	2. There Goes the Secrecy

**Warning: I presume that everyone already knows who the Winter Soldier is, thanks to comics, movie trailers, Tumblr, etc. If you really don't, and didn't get that from the fic's main ship, you may want to stop here. Also, things are heavily implied due to an episode of 'Agents of SHIELD'. Light implications were made at the end of the previous chapter.**

"There Goes the Secrecy"

_Present day_

When SHIELD came to Bruce Banner's rescue after the army caught up with him – in the markets, of all places – they discovered a suspicious artefact on the site, which meant sending for the Bus. If Phil had known that Dr. Banner was going to be there, he would have kept out of sight, instead of just walking onto the scene with FitzSimmons.

"Are you going to clear these people out?" he asked one of the agents.

"They won't respond to English, and we can't work out which language they're speaking, sir."

"It's…" Someone cleared their throat. "It's Mongolian. I can talk to them for you… Agent Coulson?"

Phil swallowed discreetly, and turned to face the doctor. "That would be very helpful. Thank you, Dr. Banner."

"Oh my God!" Simmons squeaked. "That's Bruce Banner!"

Bruce glanced at her, half-smiling, and then followed Phil over to the stall-owners. They were trying to protect their wares.

"Could you please explain to them that we believe this to be a dangerous device, and need to contain it before it can cause any serious damage," Phil said. Bruce nodded, and began to rattle off Mongolian like a native. Judging by the stall-owners' eyes, they weren't expecting that.

A familiar mechanical noise grew closer. Between them, Bruce and Phil had managed to negotiate a price for the object by the time there was a metallic thud behind them. Phil wondered if he was as bad a fanboy over Steve Rogers as the kids on his team were over Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. For once, however, Tony wasn't playing to his fans.

"Agent?" he said, and he scowled. "Nice to see you're alive. I'll have to tell Pepper, so she can stop crying every time she thinks about you."

"Mr. Stark, I would appreciate it if you allow my scientists to get on with their job so that we can leave as soon as possible," he said.

"_Your_ scientists? I thought _we_ were your scientists."

"Jealousy doesn't become you, Mr. Stark. And you were never my scientists. FitzSimmons!" They were too busy watching the argument. "We've bought that item. I would like it on the Bus within the next thirty minutes, if that's at all possible."

They jumped to it, under May's supervision. Phil kept deflecting Tony's questions, even though they were setting his teeth on edge. Even Skye couldn't distract him.

"You died!" Tony said.

"Not exactly my choice, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah, actually, it was. You should've stayed away from Loki, and you should've told us you were alive."

"You don't have the clearance. It's dumb luck that you now know." He squinted over the top of his sunglasses. "Is there any point asking you to keep this from your team-mates?"

"Do… do Romanov and Barton know?"

"They have clearance. Not everyone from level seven knows, however."

"We're done now," Fitz said, carrying a metal box. His eyes kept flitting towards Tony. Phil could sense a headache coming on.

"Give me that," he said, reaching for the box. Fitz handed it over, eyes wide with surprise. "You can go play now."

He left FitzSimmons and Skye behind with May, and Ward accompanied him back to the van.

"Was that wise, sir?" Ward asked. "I mean, who knows what they could get up to together."

"I have a feeling Stark will either consider them his new best friends, or he'll be so angry at me that he'll leave soon. I hope it's a little from column A, a little from column B."

Ward cracked a smile, and they waited for the others.

* * *

That was how Phil ended up being dragged to a meeting with the Avengers at SHIELD. He was aware that the Winter Soldier – James 'Bucky' Barnes – was now working with SHIELD in a part-time capacity, just like Steve Rogers. Something to do with physical training and strategy, from what Phil had heard.

"We didn't know," Clint said as soon as Phil entered the room. Only Clint and Natasha were there so far. Tony jostled Phil into the meeting room, followed by Bruce.

"I apologise if this caused you distress," Phil said.

"Sit," Natasha said, indicating the chair at the end of the table. Phil obeyed.

"Thor's on his way," Bruce said, cleaning his glasses. He examined them in the light. "I guess he'll arrive by hammer."

"There are only three types of hammers," Tony said. He threw himself into the chair on Phil's right, and counted on his fingers. "Thor's hammer, something you use to drive nails through wood, and the tool."

Phil half-smirked at the subtle reference to Justin Hammer. Then the door opened further, and Steve moved into the room. He was followed by a very familiar face. His hair was cropped now, and Phil could see some of the young soldier in him, the man he was before he was brainwashed.

He could tell the moment Barnes recognised him. It took a few seconds of staring at Phil, head tilted and eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Then his expression cleared, and was soon replaced by horror.

"This is Agent Phil Coulson," Steve said. "Agent Coulson, this is Bucky. Agent Barnes." He shook his head. "Sorry. He was—"

"The Winter Soldier; I have the clearance, Agent Rogers."

Barnes made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, and ducked back outside. Phil glanced at Steve.

"I'll talk to him," he said.

"No, I can—"

"I will, Steve."

Steve frowned. "But you don't know him. You've never met—"

"We have," Phil said. "A long time ago."

Everyone was silent. Phil rounded the table, heading for the door, when Barnes came back in.

"When I raped you," he said. Dead silence again. Phil swallowed.

"It wasn't like that," he said.

"You were in heat."

"Simulated. It was my job to distract you." Phil crossed his hands. "If anything, you were the victim."

"No." Barnes shook his head. He didn't move from his place near the door, and Phil didn't approach. "I should've tried to… I don't know. Resist."

"There was nothing you could've done," Phil said. This time, he took a step forwards. "That was the point."

"Did you…" Barnes cleared his throat, and stared at the floor. "Were there children?"

"Coulson's a Beta," Clint said.

"Oh. That's good."

"You don't sound happy," Phil said, cocking his head. "Any reason why?"

"What?" Barnes looked up. "No. No reason. Why would there be?"

Phil thought for a second. "Let's take this to my office."

"But Thor's going to be here soon," Steve said. He didn't look pleased. "You could at least wait. We've waited long enough."

"I mean no offence, but we didn't know each other, Agent Rogers," Phil said. "And I spent even less time with Dr. Banner. You have no reason to be offended by my absence. I presumed that Natasha and Clint knew, and that Mr. Stark hacked the files. I may have helped establish the Avengers Initiative, but I don't actually owe you anything in the way of an explanation."

Steve backed off, clearly stung. "That's how you feel about us?"

Then Thor appeared at the door, beaming.

"Greetings, Agent Coulson!" he said, and he hugged Phil. "It was wonderful to hear that you live, and more so to see it with my own eyes." He held Phil by the shoulders. "And yet there is something changed within you. Would you tell us what it is?"

"I don't know any more about it than you do," Phil said. "But… thank you for confirming my suspicions. That there's something different. If you'll excuse me, I have to speak with Agent Barnes. Alone. Please send my regards to Dr. Foster, Dr. Selvig, and Miss Lewis."

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Phil led Agent Barnes through headquarters until they reached his office. Once they were both seated either side of the desk, Phil addressed the issue.

"You know now that I was a Beta," he said. "I took an anti-suppressant to induce a pseudo-heat. Male Betas rarely fall pregnant, and I'd taken the injection only three days before. They could just give me the anti-anti-suppressant, and it would act like a morning after pill."

"So you didn't end up pregnant," Barnes said.

"Agent B—"

"Look, just call me Bucky."

"…Bucky, I'm technically a Beta-Omega, and I have been for more than twenty years."

"I've never heard of dual-dynamics," Barnes – Bucky – said. "How does that happen?"

"If someone's hormones are altered for an extended period, their status alters with it. It can't be completely changed, not without surgery, but—"

"Extended period? Why would you be a… a fake Omega for an 'extended period'…?" He went as white as a sheet. "Oh, Christ."

"A girl," Phil said. "Taking into account the manner of conception, the super powers of the Alpha… the risks were too high to give me the antidote. A month later, I found out I was pregnant."

"And you didn't have it – her – terminated?"

Phil stared at the desktop. "I thought of you, and I couldn't."

"That should've been the perfect reason to—"

"Everything you said, the way you treated me, the way you made me feel… It's ridiculous, and it might've been the false Omega hormones, but I wanted to go through with the pregnancy. So I did."

Bucky stared around. "Where is she?" he asked. "Where's my daughter?"

"I don't know."

"You… you don't know?"

"I couldn't raise her. I wanted to, but without an Alpha to help—"

"Damn it," Bucky said.

"She was taken to an orphanage. I was never told anything about it; her whereabouts, her name, who adopted her. The agent she was given to was killed, along with several others in the area. It was above my clearance level. I didn't even have a clearance level; I was only on secondment to SHIELD, not an actual agent. But they took me on board as soon as I was cleared for duty, and I've worked here ever since."

"You've never been curious about her?" Bucky asked.

Phil frowned. "Of course I have. She's my daughter. Our daughter. But I knew that if I went down that road… I've seen what might happen. It hurts every day, not knowing where she is, or if she's all right. But she had a chance at a better life than I could have given her."

Bucky bowed his head. "I'm sorry. This was my fault."

"I chose her life over mine."

"When I couldn't find you, and was captured again, they tortured me for not taking out my target. But it hurt more that I didn't know where you were. I never forgot you. For all I knew, they'd disposed of you. The thought that I failed to keep you safe was worse than anything."

Phil stood up, and walked around the desk. He leaned against the desk in front of Bucky, and stroked his cheek.

"None of this was your fault," he said. "My body wanted to have your child, so I let it. I knew I couldn't provide for her, so I gave her up. I can't imagine anyone not loving her. She was beautiful. She looked like you." Then he realised that he was still touching Bucky, and dropped his hand. Bucky caught it, and held tight.

"I feel as bad about this as I do about all the people I've been forced to kill," he said softly. "Let me make it up to you. Somehow. Please?"

Phil shrugged. "There's nothing you can do, really."

"Do you have a picture?"

He smiled. "I can do better than that. Meet me here at six, and I'll take you back to my place."

Bucky nodded, and then stood up. "I'd better go find Steve. Are you coming to see the other Avengers? They do want to talk to you."

"I guess I should. Lead on."

"You just want to stare at my ass," Bucky said, and he winked. Then his smile faded. Before he could start apologising, Phil shook his head.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" he asked, and he smiled. Bucky looked relieved.

* * *

By seven o'clock – they stopped to grab takeaway at a drive-through – Phil and Bucky were back at his apartment. Despite Steve's obvious sullenness over Phil's dismissal, he tagged along quietly, only speaking to give his order, and to thank Phil for driving them in the SHIELD car.

"Make yourselves at home," Phil said. He wasn't surprised to see Clint and Natasha perched on the edge of the couch. It looked like they'd only been waiting a few minutes, although that could have meant anything. "It looks like they have."

"You should at least tell us," Natasha said. "Whatever it is you had to say. You owe _us_ an explanation."

"I emailed you, in case you've forgotten."

"About the other matter." Her eyes flicked towards Bucky. "What you discussed."

"That's private," Bucky said, and he moved closer to Phil. "I haven't even told Steve."

"We tried to find out what happened, and all we got were redacted documents," Clint said, holding up a sheaf of papers. "And a picture of a crime scene. That's it."

"Was there a birth certificate?" Bucky asked.

"If there was, I didn't fill it out," Phil said. "I honestly have no clue what happened."

"Birth certificate?" Steve said. Bucky's eyes widened, and he glanced at Phil.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to—"

"Please don't apologise."

"You had a kid?" Clint said. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I gave her up," Phil said. "End of story."

Bucky coughed. "I thought you said you had something better than a picture?"

Phil looked at each of them in turn, and then nodded. "But you should be the first to see it. The rest of you stay out here, or I will, in fact, break your necks. Is that clear?"

Phil led Bucky to a locked room. He popped open a concealed panel, with an eye scanner and thumb print reader. He entered a code, which closed the panel, and then used a key to unlock the door. He flicked on a light, and Bucky followed him inside.

The room was full of shelves, attached to the walls or stand-alones, and a glass cabinet which was empty. There were toys, games, countless books, what looked like makeup and jewellery cases, and a wardrobe.

"Clothes," Phil said, gesturing towards it. "More in the dresser beside it."

"What _is_ all this?" Bucky asked, staring around. "You didn't get another kid, did you?"

"No," Phil said. "This is what I would've bought her, if we'd been a family. You, me, our daughter. Not too much; just something for each birthday and Christmas. And first days of school. And for extra celebrations. Something for a second child, if we'd had one. Another girl; a little sister."

"With me?"

Phil nodded absently. "With you."

"Did you ever give them names?"

"I couldn't. That should be for both of us."

"How old would she be now?"

"Twenty-one," Phil said. "I was in a coma for her twenty-first birthday, so I couldn't get anything. It's all right, though. I got these instead." He fingered a key and a remote control on a chain, resting on the dresser. The key-ring had a badge which said 'I'm 21 today!' on it. "I use the copies."

"Could I…" Bucky swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Could I get something for her, too? We could put it in here."

Phil turned to face him. "Of course."

"Phil… what if I wanted to find her? How would we do it?"

Before Phil could answer, he heard Clint whining from the living room. "Is it all right if they see it?"

"As long as Steve can. Yeah."

"Thank you." Phil poked his head out the door, and Bucky tried not to appreciate the way the seat of his trousers clung just so. "You can come in, now. But don't touch anything."

When the three Avengers entered the room, they were all quiet. Barton whistled once, but stopped when Bucky glared at him. Natasha broke the silence.

"I wish I had a father like you," she said. "Your daughter would have been very lucky."

"I couldn't have bought her these things if I'd been raising her as well," Phil said. "Looking around, sometimes I wish I'd kept her instead. But what's done is done."

"I do want to find her," Bucky said. "If you don't want her to know who you are, I won't tell her. But if I find our daughter—"

"She's old enough to know," Phil said. He opened the top drawer of the dresser, and pulled out what looked like a document folder. It was.

"What's in it?" Bucky asked.

"Copies of the original mission report," Phil said. "Copies of all the documentation related to her that I could find. Later, they were redacted. I rescued them before that could happen."

"Yeah, like this," Barton said, holding up the papers he and Natasha had brought. Steve was still looking around the room, his face expressionless, not saying a word.

But then Phil took one look at the document Barton held out, and he went pale.

"This is… this is from the file?" he said.

"Yeah. It's—"

"I've seen it before," Phil said, and he snatched it away. He studied it carefully, holding it up to the light.

"Just a print-out."

"Yes, but…"

"Well," Natasha said, and she shrugged daintily. "You filled out the information."

"No, you don't understand," Phil said. "I've seen the digital version of this document recently."

"Where?" Bucky asked. "When was this?"

"Not long ago," Phil said, and he met Bucky's eyes. "I saw it on the Bus."

"The Bus?"

"I… I think I know who our daughter is."

* * *

**Those who watch 'Agents of SHIELD' will be able to guess who I'm referring to, if the implication wasn't strong enough in the previous chapter. I came up with this idea a long time ago; it wasn't until recently that I turned the whole thing on its head due to that episode of 'AOS'.**

**If you haven't seen 'Agents of SHIELD', you may want to skip the story from here on until you've seen the first however many episodes it is before we see that document.**

**Please review!**


	3. DNA

**Warning: definite spoilers for 'Agents of SHIELD'. Kind of. I mean, this isn't canon, but I'm sure it's confusing for anyone who hasn't seen the show.**

"DNA"

Phil asked only two things of Bucky: one, a sample of his blood for comparison, and two, that he stop asking for a name. He didn't want to get Bucky's hopes up any more than he already had, and he didn't want to raise… _her_ hopes, either. If they had any premature contact with each other, it could prove disastrous, sooner or later. As her boss, it was his duty to protect her.

"I'll need a sample of your blood," he said.

"Sure thing, AC," Skye said, and she lifted her sleeve. "How much do you need?"

"Enough for a DNA test," Phil said, steering her to the lab. Simmons was qualified to draw blood.

"DNA?" They were barely in the room two seconds when it clicked. "You've found my parents?"

Phil didn't say anything; he just raised an eyebrow. But Skye looked so hopeful, so damn trusting, that he sighed. "I might have a lead."

"Drain me," she said, sitting down. "However much you need."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Simmons. Get on with it."

She nodded, and got out a medical kit. Skye was nearly bouncing off the chair. On so many levels, Phil hoped that they were a match. Disappointing two people he cared about… it hurt to think about it.

"It may not come to anything," he warned her.

"Stop moving about," Simmons said, in her best stern voice. At least she was trying.

"Sorry, Jemma," Skye said, and she held still while her blood was drawn. Fitz handed her a lollipop. Why the hell were they hoarding candy?

"Before you ask, no, you're not getting any names," Phil said. "And there's nothing on the system yet, so don't go hacking SHIELD's files again." When her head drooped, he amended it. "For this."

"Yes, AC," she said. But as he headed the door, he noticed her small grin in the reflection of the glass. With a smile of his own, he went back to his office to retrieve Bucky's sample, and his own. They were labelled in code. He returned to the lab, where Simmons was bottling the blood, and Fitz was helping Skye with the bandaid while she had her sugar hit.

"Nearly done, sir," Simmons said.

"Can you run it?"

She looked up sharply. "Pardon, sir?"

"Can you do the DNA test? I can take you back to SHIELD headquarters, if you prefer the equipment there—"

"No, of course not!" she said. "I know my own equipment, and it's in perfect working order." Skye snorted, and Simmons blushed. "You know what I mean."

"Uh-huh," Skye said.

"Really! But, sir, it takes longer in real life than it does in films or television programs."

"I'm aware of that, Simmons. I just want to be able to observe it for myself. This can't be contaminated in any way." He glanced at Skye, and then nodded towards the door. "Wait outside."

"What? But—"

"No 'but's, Skye. Fitz, you go with her."

"Aye, sir," he said.

"You're evil, AC," Skye said. But she went, probably worried that he'd keep the results from her if she interfered. It was a justifiable worry, considering that she had no idea how personal this was to him.

"Simmons," Phil said, turning back to her once the door was closed. "Jemma."

Her eyes nearly popped, but she didn't comment. "Sir?"

"The blood samples from the potential parents may not be consistent with usual human DNA," he said. "Will they still prove a match for any offspring?"

"If they are the parents, the match will be complete," she said. "Any children will inherit the same traits, which will show in the data." She hesitated. "Are Skye's parents superhuman or alien?"

"That's classified."

"Sir," she looked pained, "you know that if this proves correct, and Skye finds out who they are, she _will_ tell her closest friends."

"If she wants anyone to know," Phil said. The idea of her being ashamed was enough to make his heart ache. What would it do to Bucky, who'd only found out about it this week?

"May I know whose these samples belong to?" Simmons asked.

"That's classified. Please start."

"O-of course, sir. Take a seat. This may take awhile."

"Barring any emergencies, I have all the time in the world for this."

* * *

The crew of the Bus weren't needed for anything. Fitz brought snacks during the waking hours, Skye hovered when she wasn't being supervised, and Phil set up camp in the laboratory. He left only to go to the bathroom and take phone calls from Bucky, who was pestering him for clues. Even then, Phil spoke quietly, and watched Simmons through the window.

"It'll be another twelve hours, according to my scientist," he said. "You'll be the first to know if it's a positive match."

"And first to know if it isn't," Bucky said.

"Just try to get some sleep, and please stop ringing me every half hour."

"You promise you'll call as soon as you know?"

"I promise. I have my best person on the job, and I'm overseeing everything."

"Don't you forget to sleep," Bucky said. It sounded almost shy.

"You're not concerned about me, are you?" he asked.

"You're my… her… Look, I'm trying to be the good guy here, to make up for everything that happened."

"All right, all right," Phil said. "I'm sorry." He noticed Skye out of the corner of his eye. "I have to go now. Rest. I'll tell you as soon as I know." Then he hung up, and tucked his phone into his pocket. He was reaching for the door when Skye spoke.

"Was that my mom? Or my dad?"

Instead of 'It's classified', Phil said, "It's one of the people who might be."

"Please." Skye walked forward, her arms folded. He hated seeing her that vulnerable. "Can't you give me a name? Any name?"

He shook his head. Instead of heading straight back in, he said, "How did you get your name?"

She shrugged. "One of the nuns told me the woman was singing, and she named me after the song. But she was kind of crazy, so I don't know whether that's true or not."

Phil had been wondering. "Did you have a happy childhood?"

"I guess, compared to some people." Now that he looked, he wondered whether he was just seeing Bucky in her face. He must have been going crazy himself. "I didn't go hungry. I went to school, had my own computer, made friends. I didn't get yelled at or hit. So yeah. Hey." She narrowed her eyes. "You brought two blood samples. Does that mean both my parents are alive? Because I thought the woman who took me to the orphanage was dead."

"She may not have been your mother."

"Oh. That's good."

Phil remembered Bucky speaking those words the other day. Was it just coincidence? Or was Phil staring at his own daughter?

"I'd better get back in there," he said. "I'll let you know, Skye."

* * *

Simmons was getting closer to an answer that night, and said that she would prefer not to keep anyone in suspense when she was so close to finding out. Phil had made sure she got enough sleep, and she seemed alert enough. So he watched, sitting with his back against the wall, until he fell asleep.

He was shaken awake just after two in the morning. The light was dim enough not to blind him. He could make out Simmons' face, and she was definitely smiling.

"It's a match, sir," she said. "One hundred percent match. You've found Skye's parents."

There was a knock on the door, and Phil – still dazed from his nap – half-thought it was Skye or Bucky. But it was Ward, looking somewhat sleepy.

"We've got a call to Nebraska," he said. "Something going on there. Melinda's still asleep. Can it wait `til morning?"

"Uh, yeah," Phil said, and he shook the cobwebs out of his head. "Yes, we'll leave in… five hours. Seven-thirty. Go back to sleep."

"Sir," Ward said, and he stumbled away. Phil got to his feet. Then Simmons' words hit him.

"A match?" he said. "A definite—"

"Conclusive, sir," Simmons said, far too chirpy after working so long. "I triple-checked, and then printed out the results. Here." She gave him some papers with squiggly lines on them. "You see how they're exactly the same? Definitely unusual readings with one of the samples, but the other was quite normal."

Phil could feel the prickling at the corners of his eyes, but he didn't care. "Good. She'll be pleased."

"Skye?"

"Yes."

"And her parents?"

Phil folded the print-outs. "Go get some shut-eye, Simmons. We leave in the morning."

"I'll just clear up here, sir, then I'll definitely get on to that. Are you going to tell Skye?"

He paused. "Yes. Not right away; but I will. We need to focus on the mission tomorrow."

"You mean today."

"…Simmons?"

"Yes, sir?"

"It's too early for this. You can sass me when I'm more awake."

"Thank you, sir. It's good to have express permission to do that."

"It's never stopped you before," he muttered, and he left the lab, sleeping bag under his arm.

He liked sleeping bags.

* * *

Bucky jumped out of bed when a ringing sound disturbed his sleep. When he realised it was his phone, he dove for it.

"Phil?" he said.

"Yes, Bucky."

"What is it?"

"…I just said it."

"Said…?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

Phil sighed, but he sounded tired, not annoyed. "It's a match."

Bucky bit his knuckle, chest heaving with panicked breaths, until he calmed down. "A match," he eventually said. "Our daughter. We have… we've found her. Who is she? Tell me, Phil!"

"I'll introduce you to her when we get back from Nebraska."

"Nebraska?"

"We have a mission there—"

"But I want to see her now!"

"Agent Barnes, I have waited far longer than you have, and I see more of her than you do. You can wait until we're done. We'll be in and then out. It shouldn't take more than twenty-four hours."

"But—"

"It's the middle of the night. Just wait. I need… I need to figure out how to introduce you to each other."

Bucky sighed. "Where in Nebraska?"

"I don't have all the details yet. I'll call you when we get back."

Then there was the click of someone disconnecting, and Bucky's heart sank. So close to seeing her, and Phil had to go and keep her from him for another day. He wished Phil hadn't called at all; now knowing that it was confirmed, he would have to wait…

But not necessarily.

* * *

"You don't need to keep smirking like that, Tony," Steve said.

"You're on my private jet, Capsicle. I finally got you to accept my help."

"Only because Bucky needs to get there. And don't call me 'Capsicle'. I prefer not to be reminded of being stuck in the ice for several decades. I already have nightmares about it."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Tony said. He didn't sound very contrite; but Steve could fight his own battles now, and Bucky was far more interested in staring out the window, counting down the time until they'd be in Nebraska, and he could finally see his daughter.

"Soon," Steve said, and he patted Bucky on the shoulder.

"Not soon enough," Bucky said.

"Hey, my offer of the suit still stands," Tony said.

"Thanks, but I have enough issues with heights."

"Aren't you supposed to be a sniper?"

"We should be there soon," Steve said before Bucky could snap at Tony. It wouldn't be wise to argue with the man whose plane he was in.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before they were touching down. Not long by the clock; it continued to feel like forever to Bucky. It was nearly midday, and JARVIS was picking up the Bus's electronic signature. They weren't more than twenty miles away.

"Thanks for your help, Stark," Steve said, swinging his leg over the seat of his motorcycle. Bucky hopped on behind him. "See you back in New York."

"So you're hitching a ride back on the Bus? I'll wait here, just in case Agent bans you."

"He can't stop me from seeing my girl," Bucky said grimly, pulling on a helmet. "See you, Stark. Thanks again."

Tony saluted, and Steve kick-started the bike. Bucky held on as they sped off.

* * *

Phil was watching FitzSimmons pour suspicious liquid into an airtight magnetic-glass container when his mobile buzzed. He gestured to Ward to keep an eye on them, and walked out of earshot to answer.

"This better be good, Stark," he said.

"Barnes and Rogers are on their way to your location. T-minus five minutes, unless Rogers is breaking the road safety laws. `Cause he's _never_ been a rule-breaker."

"Sarcasm noted. Thank you for the warning."

"So. Bucky's your baby daddy, huh?"

"I'm hanging up now, Stark."

"Just wanted to give you my congratulations."

Phil wasn't sure what to think; he hated that. "Accepted. Have a nice day, Tony."

"You too, Phil."

Skye joined him on the Bus. May walked past, headed for the cockpit. Phil cleared his throat, and she looked back at him.

"We've got two extra passengers joining us," he said. May studied him, nodded, and continued towards the front of the plane. Skye stared at Phil.

"My parents?" she asked.

Only one of them, Phil thought. "Actually, it's Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Or, as you'll refer to them, Agents Rogers and Barnes."

"Am I going to meet them soon? You said the match was positive, but you haven't given me any names. Are they actually alive?" She was frowning, lips parted and fingers twitching.

"Yes, they are," Phil reassured her.

"So when can I see—"

The rest of her words were drowned out by a dull roar. A Harley-Davidson nearly flew towards them, kicking up dust and pulling to an abrupt halt in front of them. Phil looked over his shoulder, and was relieved to see that the lid was on the container, the liquid safely stored away. He turned back, and his mouth went dry when Bucky took off his helmet and stretched beside the bike. If it wasn't for him, Phil would have definitely been staring at Steve Rogers, because damn. But Bucky… Phil could remember Skye's conception all too well. He dreamed about it. Sometimes he used more lube than necessary, recreating the faked heat and wishing that that same Alpha was between his legs again. Now that Bucky was back, maybe…? But no. Phil had aged twenty-two years; Bucky wasn't even half that much older. Maybe not even a quarter. Phil was a Beta-Omega, not just an Omega; and his child bearing years were coming to an end.

"Hi, Phil," Steve said, wheeling his bike up the ramp. Bucky walked beside him.

"Agent Rogers, Agent Barnes," Phil said. "Can I see you in my office?"

"Where can I park?" Steve asked, patting the handlebars. Phil suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"You're expecting a lift back to NYC?" he asked. "You'll get there quicker if you go with Stark. We have to visit the Sandbox first."

"I'm staying," Bucky said. "We both are." There was a definite plea in his eyes. Phil couldn't help but cave.

"Fine," he said. "Ward, help Rogers buckle up. Barnes, come with me. Rogers, join us upstairs as soon as you can." Then he strode off without another word. He heard Bucky following him, but didn't speak. Not until they were in the office, with the door firmly shut. Bucky crossed his arms.

"Well? Where is she?" he asked. "I flew all the way out here because I couldn't get an answer out of you, and Stark couldn't find anything on SHIELD's records."

"I had the test performed on the Bus for that very reason."

Bucky threw up his arms. "Well?" he repeated. "I want to meet her."

"You will," Phil said, and he grabbed Bucky's wrists, bringing them down to his sides. "Just keep it together."

"But you know who she is, and I don't."

"It's been hectic." He heard the back door closing, and felt the rumble of the engines below. When he looked down, he noticed that he was still holding Bucky's arms, and let go. Then Bucky captured Phil's hands, and pulled him close.

"I keep thinking about it," he whispered. "Every time I close my eyes at night, I know I'm going to relive the only good memory I have from those years of being mind-controlled. Making love to you." He caught Phil's gaze. "That's how I try to remember it. Not the heat of an Omega, or pretend Omega. I think about being inside you, kissing you, pouring the only goodness I had into you. When Barton said you were a Beta, and I thought it meant you didn't get pregnant, I was heartbroken. Not that I believe in love at first sight; but I know that I'd wanted you to have my kids. That not everything I did while I was… out of it, turned out to be bad. I wanted something good. You having my kids… that would've been good."

"I don't know whether I can have any more," Phil said. "Part of the better life I wanted her to have was one where her father didn't have a job with a guaranteed short life expectancy."

"You've made it this far," Bucky said. His thumbs were on Phil's pulse points, stroking lightly.

"Because I've worked hard to be one of the best. I wouldn't have had the time to do that if I was looking after a child. And I'm not qualified for anything else."

"You're smart." But Bucky seemed distracted, and he was staring at Phil's lips. Self-conscious, Phil licked them quickly. He went to speak, and Bucky cupped his face with both hands. "Shh."

"Bucky—"

"I want to kiss you. God help me, I've wanted to kiss you since I saw you again at SHIELD. Before I even recognised you, there was something there. So I'm giving you advanced warning. If you don't want this, just push me away—"

Phil pushed him, all right. Up against the wall.

"You going to prove you're not just a fast runner?" he asked. Bucky's eyes darkened at the familiar words, and he turned them around so that Phil was the one pressed to the wood. In contrast to his actions, Bucky started with soft kisses at the corners of Phil's mouth, continuing to the middle, but only ever teasing. Phil groaned in frustration, and Bucky chuckled against his lips.

"Are you going to beg?" he said.

"I wanted everything you said then," Phil murmured, leaning into the touch. "I still do."

Apparently that was good enough, because Bucky wrapped his arms around Phil's waist and held tight as he tipped his head down. Phil relaxed into his Alpha's embrace and opened his mouth when prompted. He melted, hands on Bucky's upper arms and kind of wishing he had some of that anti-suppressant on him.

Of course someone had to come into the office at that moment.

"Hey, AC, I was— Oh, gross. God, it's like watching your parents having sex. I can't un-see that." Skye made a face, and left. Phil's heart pounded. He waited for her to connect the dots, and come bursting back in.

Then the Bus shuddered, and Phil heard a yelp from outside. He pushed Bucky away and wrenched open the door.

"Skye!" he shouted.

"I'm okay," she said. She was clutching the stair-rail. Phil had never been so relieved.

"What the hell was that?" Bucky asked, coming out behind him.

"Something hit us," May announced over the PA system.

"Why is there always someone coming after whatever we've confiscated?" Skye said, walking down the stairs. Phil and Bucky followed her, and met Ward on the floor

"FitzSimmons are in the lab, keeping an eye on… things," he said, glancing at Bucky. Steve was still standing beside his bike. Obviously he'd been trying to give them some privacy, which was more than could be said for Skye. It must have been a right of passage for children to interrupt their parents while they were having private time together.

"I'll check on them," he said. "Get ready to buckle up."

* * *

**Oops. Went over my intended word count there. I'm sure you don't mind.**

**Who saw this coming? I was getting a bit blatant, wasn't I? So I'm just going to sit here, and try to get on with the next chapter. I hope you're enjoying it, whoever may be reading. I love rare pairings, and I wish more people wrote Phil/Bucky. There's something so appealing about it. Mind you, I ship Phil with everyone.**

**Please review!**


	4. Troubles Abound Aboard

**Warning: I fail at writing action, and I know nothing about mechanics or science, which is problematic. The baddie is pretty pathetic, for example. Sigh. Please ignore anything which isn't emotional whatnot.**

"Troubles Abound Aboard"

"We found the formula," Fitz said. "We were able to break it down—"

"You've collected a sample?" Phil said.

"Aye, sir."

"You know how to make an antidote to whatever the liquid did to those people?"

"Yes, sir," Simmons said.

"Good. Keep the sample and the data with you at all times."

"I'll keep the sample," Simmons said. "Fitz, you take the notes."

"If I tell you, at any time, to get the hell off this plane, you do it, no questions asked. I have the Sandbox's co-ordinates in Lola's GPS. Six people will fit in the car."

"Sir, we won't actually have to disembark, will we?" Simmons asked, glancing at Fitz.

"I'm going to make sure it doesn't come to that," Phil said, heading for the door. "But I'd prefer to be prepared, wouldn't you?"

"Sir."

"What is it, Fitz?"

"…There are eight of us on board."

Phil nodded. "I'm aware. Which is why leaving is a last resort."

As he exited the lab, he sent a text message, and then took note of who was around.

"Where's Rogers?" he asked.

"He went to play co-pilot," Ward said. "Sir, you need to sit down."

Phil strapped himself in beside Bucky, who was next to Skye, and Ward at the far end. FitzSimmons buckled up on the other side of the bay when they finally emerged from the lab. Phil hooked up to a comm. unit.

"May, I need a status report," he said. "Any significant damage?"

"Whatever's on our tail, it's not shaking us," she said. "If it's after that liquid—"

"How long will the Bus last on autopilot?"

She didn't speak for a few seconds. "About two minutes. Then it will start to descend."

"Director Fury will kill you if we destroy this thing again," Skye said.

"Yes, thank you, Skye," Phil said. "May, how bad is the damage?"

"It's superficial, but widespread, and all on the outside. You remember what led to the first lot of repairs? This could be worse if we don't deal with it soon."

"How soon?"

"Ten minutes or less."

Phil swore. "Okay. I want everyone equipped with parachutes." He looked at Simmons. "Is the substance flammable?"

"Are you asking whether, if the plane crashed, it would turn into a great big ball of fire which will engulf everything within half a mile's radius?" Simmons asked.

"I take that as a yes."

"Yes, sir."

"We're not over the ocean yet," Ward said. "Unless we landed on a mountain or a forest—"

"I'm not risking any more lives that necessary," Phil said. "If I tell you to go, you go. Get Lola, FitzSimmons, Skye, and anyone else who'll fit, and get off this plane."

"Your car?"

"Dude, it can fly," Skye said.

"At this height?"

"Lola can do anything," Phil said.

"AC, you still haven't told me," Skye said, glaring at him. "I have to know."

"Everyone, get your parachutes on," Phil said. "May. Status?"

"Unchanged. We're trying to find the safest place to land, or drop if we have to abandon ship."

"Parachutes, both of you."

"Got that."

While they all donned safety gear, Phil avoided Skye's look. He heard Bucky humming. It was familiar.

…That's right.

"I've always wondered what that tune was," he said.

"I can't remember," Bucky said. "My mom used to sing it to me."

"One of the nuns sang it, too," Skye said. "She sang a lot, though. She's the crazy one I told you about, AC."

"Oh, I know it," Fitz said, and he snapped his fingers. "It's, uh… uh…"

"That thing's after us again," May said. "I thought we'd shaken it."

"Give me a gun, let me get out there, and I'll deal with it," Bucky said.

Maybe, under ordinary circumstances, Phil would have tried to keep everyone on board and deal with it differently. But he'd just found out that Skye was his daughter, so he was beginning to think like a dad. And a dad protected his children.

"Bucky, you go with them," he said. "You and Ward keep them safe. I'll send Rogers or May—"

"I'm not leaving you on here," Bucky said, grabbing Phil's arm. "You need me. If whatever this is comes aboard, I want to be here to fight it. You go with them."

"This is my plane, my team, and I'll—"

"Stop arguing!" Simmons said. "Just give us a chance to fix this."

"We won't all fit in that car," Bucky said, pointing at Lola. "Think, Phil. You know this plane."

"We're all trained," Simmons said. "Well, some more than others. But we've done this before."

"We'll need someone on the outside," Steve said. He walked out onto the bay. "To fix the electronics."

"I can do that," Skye said.

"You're a hacker, not an engineer," Phil said, trying to remain calm. His protective instincts, from his Omega half, were screaming at him to make sure she got out of danger. But if they left now, would whatever was out there go for them instead of the plane?

"Skye Boat Song!" Fitz blurted out. They all looked at him. "The music. It's the Skye Boat Song."

Phil's blood ran cold. If the DNA test hadn't already confirmed it, that did. The story was just as much of a match.

"Okay," he said. "We'll need to isolate the threat before we tackle it, and we need to make sure it's away from whoever does the repairs. If they're all along the one side, we'll need rope, and a hole to put it through. Which side is the damage on?"

"The worst of it is near the left wing," May said.

"We'll draw them to the right. Simmons, get the liquid. Fitz, get together a repair kit. Ward, rope. How long have we got?"

"Less than seven minutes, more than two."

"I'll go back," Steve said. "Just grabbing extra weapons."

Phil tossed him the cabinet key. "Go nuts."

"So what, we throw the liquid outside and hope they all go for it?" Skye asked. Simmons returned with it in her arms.

"Got it, sir," she said unnecessarily.

"I'm not letting it fall into their hands," Phil said. "May, are we near a good landing point?"

"Coming up to a clearing. Mostly bare land."

"Let me take Lola out, and I'll take that stuff," Skye said, pointing at the glass container. "I'll tempt them away."

"Skye—"

"We're supposed to take risks in this job," she said. "Let me do this."

"Where are your keys?" Ward asked.

"In my room," Phil said.

"I'll get them."

"No," Phil said. "You and Fitz get on that roof and start repairs."

"Right, sir," Fitz said.

"Keys!" Skye said.

Phil knew this was it. He walked over to her.

"Agent Barnes will go with you," he said. "Take Simmons. If I know her, she made two copies of the formula for the antidote, and she'll have one."

"You're right, of course," Simmons said, and she blushed. "Are we predictable?"

"You're good agents," Phil said. He turned back to Skye, and rested his hand on her shoulder. "So are you. I'm proud of you."

"Aw, shucks, AC," she said, rolling her eyes. "Now get your keys."

He pulled a set out of his pocket, and handed it to her.

"These are the originals," he said. "Look after her." He looked at Bucky. "Look after all three of them."

"What's with the key-ring?" Skye asked, looking at it. Phil narrowed his eyes. "Sorry, sorry. No time."

"No, it's not that." He hesitated, then kissed her on the cheek. Her jaw dropped. "She's really yours, sweetheart. Happy late twenty-first birthday."

Bucky gasped softly. "She's…"

Phil pushed Skye and Simmons towards the car. Then he pulled Bucky into a kiss.

"Take care of our daughter," he said, and then he ran to activate the switch which opened the door. He waited until they were all buckled in, and probably still reeling from what he'd revealed. As long as they stayed focussed…

As soon as the door was open far enough, Skye put Lola into reverse. Phil clung on to a leather strap to stay in place. His mobile chose that moment to accept a phone call. May, thankfully, had stayed silent the whole time. He patched the call through so that she, Steve, and Phil could all hear.

"Go ahead, Stark," Phil said as the door to the bay closed.

"I'm nearly there," Tony said. "I can see one of your guys on the roof of the Bus. Geez, you can see the damage from five miles away. Oh, and there's a red car. Hang on. This… is that a giant eagle? Seriously, it's about as big as the plane. Is it an orc or something?"

Phil was finally able to let go of the strap. "Just help Fitz and Ward. The sooner this is done, the better."

"Sixty seconds, counting down," May said.

"I'm here!" Tony announced. "You guys know how to mess up a fine piece of engineering, don't you? Not as good as anything I make, but it's pretty nice."

"Stark, _please_ just get on and fix this, okay?" Phil said. "I'll never threaten to tazer you again if you save my people."

There was silence as Tony and Fitz worked away. Still the gap on the side of the plane widened. Unless they managed to weld that together – unlikely at this altitude, and in this limited amount of time – it could still tear apart, and they would crash.

"We only need one pilot," Phil said, and he began to run to the cockpit. "I'm going to patch into Lola, and make sure the others are ready to do a pick-up. Fitz and Ward will go with them, along with May or Rogers. Stark, be prepared to take the other one."

"Phil, that's inadvisable," Steve said.

"Autopilot for two minutes; how hard can it be to let the Bus do all the work?"

Apparently, the 'giant eagle' had seen that it was being distracted, and there was a loud, metallic ripping sound from the tail.

"That's bad," May said.

"I got that," Phil said. "Thank you."

"We're going to start going down. Any instructions?"

Phil connected to Lola's comm. unit. "Do you read me?"

"Yeah, I read you, _Dad_," Skye said. He winced. "When were you going to tell me?"

"When we weren't being attacked by Big Bird's cousin," he replied. "You're going to pick up Ward and Fitz."

"And Phil," Steve said. "Sorry I didn't bring a flying bike, by the way."

"'ET go home'," Tony quipped.

Phil smiled slowly as an idea occurred to him. "You'll pick up Agent May, as well. May, put the Bus on autopilot, and set the destination for that clearing. Then get to the rope, and get up there. Rogers, meet me in the bay. Stark, when the others are in the car, come get us. ET will be getting home. You can handle a bike, can't you?"

"…Agent, I like the way you think."

Phil ran out to the back. May confirmed the moment she had set the co-ordinates on the autopilot. Tony provided a commentary on the pick-up. Steve gave May a boost onto the roof, even though she didn't need it. Then he entered the bay, caught the helmet Phil threw to him, and climbed in front. Phil shot a rubber bullet at the switch, opening the cargo bay door one last time. Steve revved up the motorcycle. Phil held on, and they drove out of the bay and into the air.

Seconds later, before they could even begin to fall, they were caught from below by Iron Man. They sped past the car, Phil grabbing the container from Simmons. She'd wrapped a sling around it so he could hold it one-handed. Tony lifted them up to the plane, the bird-like creature following the scent of the liquid. As the plane began to drop, they flew over the hole, and Phil dropped the glass bottle. The bird went for it, and Tony moved them as fast as he could from the ensuing blast. It buffeted them further forward, but they were unharmed. The bird and the machine dropped, and so did the poisonous liquid. All of it hit the ground and burst into flames. Phil switched off his comm. unit so that he wouldn't go deaf from the cheers.

"We saved my bike and your car, even though the jet's been totalled," Steve said over his shoulder. "It could've been worse."

"And we kept you from another plane crash," Phil said, leaning forward enough for him to hear. "A good day's work."

"Stop flirting," Tony said. "Jeez. I'm glad I'm a straight Beta."

Phil rolled his eyes and Steve laughed.

"I'm getting to like you, Stark," he said.

"Once you've gone Stark, you never go ba-ack," Tony said, doing a terrible impersonation of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"I don't understand that ref—"

"I have a feeling you'll be watching all of the _Terminator_ films any day now," Phil said.

* * *

Safe on the ground, Skye had barely parked the car when Bucky was leaping out and heading for where Steve and Phil were jumping from the bike. Steve went first, caught Phil, and Tony put the motorbike down with a thump.

"That went well," Tony said, and he removed the face-plate of his armour. "I think we can agree that that went well, right?"

"I think so," Simmons said. "Fitz and I are both equipped with samples and formulae. Shall we go to the Sandbox now?"

"I'll have my pilot pick us up," Tony said, and he whipped out his mobile phone. Bucky pulled Phil aside, and leaned in close.

"You were flirting with Steve?" he hissed.

"No," Phil said, looking confused. "What gave you that idea?"

"Stark said… on the comms…"

"Tony says a lot of things on the comms. You shouldn't always listen to them. Or, if you do listen, you shouldn't always believe them."

"But… Steve caught you when you jumped down."

"I didn't know he was planning to do that."

Bucky ran his fingers through his hair. "But he told me how excited you were to meet him."

"Was, Bucky. Past tense. Meeting your heroes…" He shrugged. "Sometimes it wipes the shine off them. He's just a co-worker now."

Bucky stepped back, disappointed. "Is that what I am?"

"No," Phil said, shaking his head. "You're my Alpha. Remember?"

"Really? I can still be… after everything?"

"What everything? It wasn't your fault. It wasn't even my fault, except for giving up Skye."

"Phil… how do I be a dad? If she even wants me, that is." His heart sank, even as Phil cupped his chin.

"If she wants us – and I'm not being her father without you – we'll go from there. I don't know any more about this than you do. But she's an adult now, not a little girl. There are different rules."

"Don't I get a say?"

They looked at Skye, who was scowling at them, arms crossed.

"Skye," Phil said. "I need to introduce you to… your dad. Your other dad. This is Agent Barnes."

"You can call me Bucky, if you prefer," Bucky said. He held out his hand, not sure what else he could do. When Skye didn't make any moves to shake it, he pulled back, determined not to let her see how it hurt him.

"How long have you known?" she asked Phil.

"Since this morning, when Simmons confirmed that the DNA samples were a match," he said.

"No, I mean, how long have you suspected it?"

Phil pursed his lips, and Bucky put his arm around Phil's waist. Physical contact was the least he could do for the man.

"About a week," he said. "That was when I saw that redacted document you showed me. I'd never seen it in person, not since you were born, which was a long time before it was redacted. It wasn't until Barton and Romanov showed me the print-out they'd taken from the file that I saw it, and recognised it. But I couldn't be sure, which is why I had Simmons perform the test. What you told me about how you got your name… I used to hum that song to you, in the hospital after you were born. I had to give you up when you were only a week old. But God, Skye, I loved you so much. You were my little girl." He laughed weakly, and rubbed his eyes. "A real miracle. It seems like I'm destined for short relationships. I only knew your father for less than three hours, until we met again a week ago. I only got you for seven days. Now you're both back in my life… and I have no idea what to do to stop you leaving me."

"I won't leave you," Bucky murmured, pressing closer to Phil.

"Thank you," Phil said.

"And… the car?" Skye asked, jerking her head towards Lola. "You're giving her to me?"

"I missed your twenty-first birthday," Phil said.

"You missed all of them."

"There's no need for that," Bucky said, frowning at his daughter. He hoped he looked as disapproving as his mother used to. It seemed to have some effect, because Skye bowed her head and muttered an apology. "That's better."

"The point is that I was unconscious for it," Phil continued. "Before, I'd always made sure I had something for your birthday. This time, I didn't. So when Director Fury said he'd make up for ruining my Captain America cards, he gave me a car. I had copies made of the keys, and I use those. Used." He frowned at the distant wreckage. "Good thing I kept the originals."

"Why did you bring them with you?" Bucky asked. "Weren't they in her room at your apartment?"

"My room?" Skye said, looking from one of them to the other. "What do you mean, my room? I haven't been there before."

"It's full of birthday and Christmas presents for you," Steve said. He was scrubbing his helmet hair into a mess. Bucky checked, but Phil wasn't looking at him. Good. It sucked to be jealous of his own friend.

"Presents?" Skye said, her eyes widening. "But… I wasn't there to—"

"I bought them anyway," Phil said. His voice was low, and he half-turned into Bucky's chest. "Just in case I ever found you again. You could see that I'd been thinking about you every day of your life. I didn't have a claim on you. But you're still my little girl. That one week was the best of my life. You were so warm and soft, so adorable in your pink suit. So quiet when I hummed to you. I got that song from your father, your Alpha father. He was humming it after… Well, you don't need to hear that. But it settled you. Whenever I thought about the day you would be taken from me, I'd count each of your fingers and toes, and I'd talk about all the things I wanted to do with you. Play, teach, take you to dance lessons or whatever you wanted to learn. Scare off any boys who weren't good enough for you. Everything a parent is supposed to do. I probably wouldn't have been good at any of it, except the shovel talk. Then you'd probably resent me… and I knew I wasn't the man for the job. Which is why I gave you up. Please understand." He held out one hand, lowering it when Skye didn't make a move. "If I could do it all again… I'd do anything I could to keep you, just for a bit longer."

* * *

**Sorry if I've upset anyone. Wasn't (entirely) my intention. But if I've tugged a few heart-strings, then my work here is done.**

**Why do I love angst? Why do I love fluff?**

**Please review!**


	5. Loose Ends to Tie Up

"Loose Ends to Tie Up"

Bucky heard a sniffle, and noticed that Simmons was wiping away tears. It looked like Fitz was crying as well. Tony was watching the scene, sunglasses back on, suspiciously quiet.

"Please say something, baby," Phil said. He never looked away from Skye. "I've faced some unimaginable horrors, including an alien with daddy issues… and giving you up was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'll understand if you hate me, but—"

"Just." Skye held up a hand. "Shut up." Phil closed his mouth. "I need to think."

It wasn't until he felt like he was about to pass out that Phil realised he was holding his breath. He dragged in a lungful of air, covering his mouth to hide the worst of it. Bucky pulled him close and kissed the spot behind his ear. It was as he nuzzled Phil's hair that he paused, and pressed his nose to the skin of his neck.

"That's…" he whispered. "That's a Bonding bite." Phil nodded. "So that's why you said I'm your Alpha. I really am."

"Yes."

"You… you never had a chance to find anyone else."

"I didn't want anyone else," Phil said, turning his head to look up at Bucky. "I just wanted my family."

"Can I see?" He looked at Skye. "My room. Can I see it?"

"O-of course," he said, nodding, trying not to read anything into it. "I had spare keys for my apartment made on your eighteenth birthday. I mean, you don't have to use them. But if you ever need a place to stay, you can—"

"You'd do that?" she said. "Seriously? We've only known each other less than a year, and you have no reason to trust me. Why would you give me the keys to your home?"

Phil held in a shrug. "It would've been your home, too." He dropped his gaze to the ground. "After we go to the Sandbox, I'll take you back to my place. Would you… would you like Bucky— Agent Barnes to join us?"

"Sure," she said. "Whatever."

That settled – somewhat – some of the crew boarded Stark's plane. Phil drove Simmons and Ward, so that copies of the antidote and the sample were in two different places. Just in case. If he'd brought Fitz instead, the engineer would have bitched the entire time about being separated from Tony Stark. Taking Simmons was the lesser of two evils. Bucky sat beside him in the front seat, a possessive hand on Phil's right thigh the whole way there.

* * *

It was another seven hours before they could get home. Again, Phil bought fast food on the way, and they ate and drank in silence. Bucky carried the rubbish inside, following Phil and Skye into the apartment.

"I'll throw this out," Bucky said, holding up the plastic bag.

"Come find us when you're done," Phil said, and he led Skye down the hall. Bucky took a moment, watching them, where he tried to imagine what their lives would have been like under different circumstances. If Phil was carrying Skye's bags to the room because she'd just got home from college, and had a lot more clothes than she'd left with. If they'd been out for fast food as an indulgence, or on the way home from the airport. If they were silent because they'd said everything in the car, and just wanted to be… to be.

He used the time emptying the rubbish into the bin to pull himself together. He couldn't let any of this show on his face when he saw Skye again.

She was even prettier than he'd imagined. He could see some of his mother in her, and he wished he had a picture to prove it. Maybe Steve could draw something? Maybe he could even draw pictures of what Skye would have looked like growing up, with Bucky and Phil by her side?

"Stop it," he whispered to himself. He left the plastic bag anchored under a bread box, and headed to Skye's gift room.

Phil was standing outside, watching Skye walk around. Bucky stood behind him and held his hips. It was instinctive.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"She hasn't said anything yet," Phil said. He didn't comment as Bucky moved closer, until they were pressed chest-to-back. Skye glanced at them, and away again. She stopped by the wardrobe.

"What's in this?" she asked.

"Clothes," Phil said. "You can touch whatever you want. Everything in here is yours."

Skye shook her head. "This is too weird."

"It's not exactly going how I'd imagined it would, which is a surprise. I thought I'd imagined every possible scenario, but this wasn't one of them. Some were worse, I'll admit. Being outright rejected and abandoned, for one. This is a step up from that. And you're here." He gestured to the room. "That's another step up. I just…" His whole body shook, just slightly, just once. "I wasn't expecting an effusive reaction. I don't have any right even to hope for that."

She breathed in and out deeply, and then opened the door. Bucky had already looked, and knew what she'd be able to see. A line of dresses and jumpsuits, shirts and skirts and pants, all getting bigger from left to right. There was even a christening dress at the far left. Some of the clothes had been bought second-hand, and Skye commented on that.

"Those were the bad days," Phil said. "The days when I acknowledged you wouldn't be coming home. I still wanted to get something, but I didn't care enough to make it special, because I knew it would be just another day in my life. Another year without you. Or you," he added, pressing back against Bucky. When Skye went back to flicking through the hangers, he wrapped his arms around Phil, and rubbed his nose against the bite mark.

"And what's with the empty cabinet?" Skye asked, pointing across the room. Phil chuckled half-heartedly.

"That was for your trophies and ribbons," he said. "Anything you won, it'd go straight in there. I got that when you would've been about ten. It was just after I moved in here."

"The books?"

"Any child of mine would be well-read," Phil said. "I didn't want to discriminate, so I got whatever I thought you'd like. Whether it was books about princesses or books about dinosaurs, animals or robots, classics, fantasy. The books were usually something I'd pick up just because I'd be so proud of you, and wanted to give you a treat."

"But…" She looked confused. "I wasn't there."

"I know," he said, and he squeezed Bucky's hands where they covered his. "You're not really here now. But you wanted to see this. The toys, the games, the rocking horse. The bear I got for your first birthday." He pointed to a pink teddy. "I bought you a sleeping bag for your eleventh birthday, in case you had anyone to sleep over. Makeup when you reached your teens. Clothes of different sizes. I'll admit, I didn't go near underwear, or anything like that. Just… presents for my daughter. Call me a masochist, but I've thought about you every day, and I… I can hardly believe you've been right under my nose all these months." He laughed, sounding uncertain, and let go of Bucky's hand to clutch his hair. "God, what am I saying? You don't want to hear any of this. I'm sorry, Skye." He dropped his hand and shook his head. "I'm doing this all the wrong way. I don't know if there's a right way, but if there is, I'm not doing it. I'm just messing everything up further."

"Please, calm down," Bucky said. He frowned at Skye for upsetting her father. She dropped her gaze again.

"I should go," she said.

"Of course," Phil said. He passed her, and pulled something out of the top drawer of the dresser again. Only this time, it was a set of keys, not a documents. "Here. If you need to come back, at any time. I'm the only one who can access this room, but I can set it to your specifications, if you want me to."

"That's not necessary," Skye said. "Thank you for showing me, but I… I really do have to go."

They walked her to the front door. She turned back at the last moment.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," she said.

"No," Phil said. "I'm the one who gave you up in the first place, and never looked for you."

"I don't mean this. Not just this. There was all the hacking I've done, and that thing with Miles. Now I'm disappointing you all over again." Phil opened his mouth, but Skye continued. "Look, I'll see you back on the Bus, next time we have to go deal with some alien artefact."

"Good night," Phil said softly. Bucky knew that however bad he felt, his mate was feeling worse, and that was killing him. He just wanted to take away Phil's pain.

"Good night," Skye said.

Bucky didn't say anything. After she left, he shut the door, and then took Phil's shuddering body into his arms.

"I'm here," he said.

* * *

As Phil scrabbled around in his nightstand for lube and a condom, he noticed Bucky's underwear fall to the ground out of the corner of his eye.

"It still feels wrong to be doing this," Bucky said. "You're upset. It's like I'm taking advantage."

"It's called comfort sex, and I think you need it, too," Phil said, and he turned back around, supplies in hand. He loved looking at Bucky. The Alpha hadn't changed one bit in twenty years. It was Phil who had aged, and was covered in scars. The major ones on his chest and back disgusted him the most. He should have known Loki would try multiplying. And he still had no idea how he'd been saved.

Bucky distracted him by climbing onto the bed. Phil handed him a condom, and then coated his fingers liberally. He reached between his legs, an old hand at this (no pun intended). It didn't take long to stretch himself out. He watched Bucky slicking himself up with more lubrication, and appreciated the view. A tidal wave of desire hit him when Bucky manhandled his hips up and slid a pillow underneath. Phil held out his arms, and Bucky fell on him, lips and teeth and tongue. Phil gave as good as he got, and he wrapped a leg around Bucky's waist as the man thrust deep. There was a burn, but it disappeared quickly. Phil had definitely felt worse, from far less attractive people, and all in the line of work. This was so much better.

He groaned when Bucky swirled his hips, triggering so many pleasurable spots that Phil began to see stars. He tried to bite his lip, to keep quiet. Bucky kissed it away, and then pulled back, panting.

"I want to hear you," he said. "I want to hear my Omega."

"Beta-Omega," Phil said, and he wondered why he was correcting his Alpha on one tiny detail. Bucky snorted, rolling his eyes, and he gave an extra-hard thrust at just the right angle. Phil gasped loudly, and hooked his other leg around Bucky's back. "There. More."

"You want to sass me again?"

"No, Alpha." Phil shivered, and bared his throat. "I'm sorry. Please don't stop."

"I'm not that cruel," Bucky said, but he did pause to scrape his teeth alone Phil's pulse point, and up beneath his chin. "It's been a long time since we had sex—"

"You said 'make love'," Phil said. "On the Bus. You said you wanted to make love to me."

Bucky stopped moving again, and his eyes moved swiftly over what he could of Phil's body. "Yeah. I do."

"So what're you waiting for?"

With a grin, Bucky took Phil's mouth again, and Phil was reduced to a trembling mess by the time he hit his climax. Bucky kept plunging deeper, still fully hard, until Phil pushed him out forcefully.

"What—"

"I'm clean. You?"

It took a few moments, but then Bucky nodded. "Yeah."

"Take it off."

"Take…?"

"That." Phil gestured to the rubber which separated him from feeling Bucky's release. "I want to feel you like I felt you that day."

"You're… you're not in heat—"

"But you're still an Alpha, my Alpha. Please." Phil shifted in place, his hips in the perfect position. "Do this for me. I've waited for you to come home."

The condom tore as Bucky ripped it off, and he threw it aside. He was back inside Phil within three seconds, and they both moaned at the feeling of going natural. Bucky was soon coming inside Phil, a knot swiftly forming. Alphas never knotted when they wore protection; without that barrier, he was free to fill his mate, and keep them locked together until every drop of seed had been poured into the Omega. Beta-Omega, Phil reminded himself with the last of his functioning brain cells. He clung to Bucky.

"We should move onto our sides," Bucky said, caressing Phil's cheek. "I don't want to crush you."

"And I want to stay like this," Phil said. "We'll play word games or something. Talk about everything we've missed. Are you uncomfortable?"

"Honestly? It's been a long time since I've been this comfortable. Are you?"

"Far from it," Phil said, and he kissed Bucky's palm.

So they talked for a long time. It was at least another hour before Bucky tried to pull out. It sent shockwaves through both of them to find that he still wasn't done. He wasn't anywhere near being done. Phil dozed off eventually, and Bucky spent the rest of the time cataloguing his features, and remembering twenty-two years ago. In the last week, he'd found his mate, his daughter, and a home. At least he hoped Phil would let him stay.

When the knot was small enough, Bucky tugged, even while Phil's body tried to pull him back in. He climaxed again, waking Phil with a gasp, and an enthusiastic kiss.

"Mmm." Phil let go of Bucky's hair. "I thought I was having one of my dreams. But you're really in my bed, aren't you?"

"Can it be our bed?"

"I hope so." Phil looked down. "Don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you?"

"Because I asked you to knot me."

"Well, technically—"

"I knew what I was in for, and I didn't exactly keep you from tying."

"Why? I would've thought it'd be risky."

"It is," Phil said, nodding a little as he kept eye contact with Bucky. "Maybe I want to take the risk?"

"You want…"

"Here." Phil grabbed Bucky's flesh-and-blood hand, and held it against his abdomen. It was somewhat swollen, and gave under pressure. But that made Phil shudder, and clench down. It just swelled up again when he took his hand away.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"No. It feels good. My Omega half is purring away."

"You consciously made this decision?"

Phil gave him an irritated look. "I'm not in heat. I don't even go into heats. I just want to see if there's a chance. If Skye doesn't want us…"

"She can't be replaced," Bucky said.

"I know. But I used to dream of having a second child, remember?"

"I thought you just liked to pretend that it happened."

"It's not just that," Phil said. "I dreamed about it. About you." His expression darkened. "And then my dreams were replaced by nightmares after spending weeks in ICU. It wasn't until I was assigned the Bus that the nightmares started to decrease in frequency. Then I heard that you'd been found. And then we met again…" He stroked Bucky's chin. "I've only had about two nightmares since then."

The topic was enough to make Bucky's knot go down, and he pulled out. He pushed Phil's legs apart to examine him.

"You're swollen almost completely shut," he said, frowning. "That's not good."

"That's what happened last time. And this," Phil added, patting the swelling. Bucky knew what was causing that, and sighed. But it was a sigh of contentment.

"Let's get you into pyjamas," he said. "If we're both naked in bed together, I'm going to want to take you again, and you're not in any condition for that."

"I know," Phil said, sounding grumpy. "But if I'm loose enough by morning, will you make love to me then?"

"Christ," Bucky said, and he hissed at the twitch below. "Don't say things like that. We'll just… see what happens. Okay?"

Phil nodded. "PJs are in the second drawer down. There should be some to fit you. If not, I keep spare things for unexpected guests."

"What kind of unexpected guests?" Bucky asked, jealous again. This was ridiculous. He would have to mark Phil in more obvious places to show that he was taken.

"Barton and Romanov, mainly. And now Skye. I hope."

Bucky climbed out of bed and found pyjamas and underwear for both of them. While Phil struggled into his, wincing, Bucky disposed of the used condom, and then dressed quickly. They cleaned up using tissues, tossed the top sheet off the bed, and then Bucky slid under the covers beside Phil.

"Good night, love," he whispered, and he wrapped his arms around Phil from behind.

"Good night, Bucky. I love you."

Something inside of Bucky relaxed, and he smiled widely, even though Phil couldn't see it.

"Love you, too, Phil."

* * *

In the middle of the night, Phil was awoken by a sound inside the apartment. If Natasha or Clint dropped in, they gave notice if they needed medical assistance, or stayed quiet if they just needed someplace to stay. He wasn't used to noises like that. He went to nudge Bucky awake, only to find that his boyfriend was halfway to the door. Phil joined him, ignoring Bucky's frown. Phil knew his own apartment, damn it. Bucky had only been here once before tonight.

They crept out of the room, and followed the noises to the one room he least expected to find someone. It's not as if anyone could get in except Phil. Or, he supposed, someone who was exceptionally good at hacking, such as Tony Stark or…

"Skye?" he said, and he looked into the room. Sure enough, his daughter – his and Bucky's daughter – was sitting on the floor, back against one of the shelves, and clutching the pink bear he'd bought for her first birthday, when he'd still been optimistic.

Skye looked up at her parents, and she drew her knees up, hiding most of the teddy.

"Sorry," she said. "But I needed to… I needed…"

"It's okay," Phil said. "We'll leave you alone. The guest room is down the hall, next to the bathroom. The kitchen's near the front door; you would've seen it when you were here earlier."

"Please stay," Skye said. Phil noticed the tears on her cheeks for the first time. "Don't leave me."

In three strides, Phil was by her side, and he dropped to his knees. She let out a sob, and covered her mouth.

"Shh, baby girl," he said. "We're here." He touched her shoulder, not sure how she'd react. She just sobbed again, and clutched the teddy bear tighter.

"We're both here," Bucky said. He knelt beside Phil, a little further away, like he was afraid to get close. Since father and daughter had only met yesterday, he couldn't blame his mate for being uneasy.

Skye sniffled as she raised her head. "I've wanted to find you for so long, or at least find out what happened to you."

"I know," Phil said, and he dared to stroke her hair. She didn't pull away, or otherwise object.

"I thought I was half an orphan, at least." She sniffed again, and Phil wished he had a handkerchief or tissue on him. "Then you said you thought you'd found my parents."

"I hoped it would be positive," he said. "When faced with the possibility, I wanted you to be my daughter. Not just because I would've found the girl I cradled as much as I could for seven days, but because you were the kind of daughter I would have liked. Not the hacking, or the incident with Miles. But your spirit, your heart, your bravery." He kept stroking her hair. "I wanted our blood to be a match."

Skye looked him in the eyes. "I wanted it to match, too. Seeing you so invested in it, I wanted you to be my dad. But you didn't give any impression that you were one of the donors, so I figured it wasn't the case. Didn't stop me wanting it to be true." Phil was beginning to think he was dreaming, when Skye dropped the bear aside. "Daddy…" Then she flung herself into his arms, nearly knocking him backwards. He automatically folded her into his arms. He'd wanted this for more than two decades. Now that it was happening, he couldn't bring himself to let go.

"Sweetheart," he whispered, choked up. "My baby girl. You're back again." He felt Bucky begin to move away, and looked at him, tears in his eyes. "Don't go."

"Listen," Bucky said, looking awkward. "She doesn't really know me, and I don't know her, either—"

"Dad," Skye said, and she held out one arm. She turned her head, currently resting on Phil's shoulder, to look at Bucky. "Please."

Bucky took precisely one second to join the group— the family hug.

Family.

* * *

About a month later, Phil left the bathroom and went straight to the living room, where Bucky and Skye were watching a film. He hit the pause button, which got their attention.

"You," he said, pointing at Bucky, "have gotten me pregnant. I'm in my forties and I'm pregnant for only the second time. I hope you're pleased with yourself."

Bucky gaped, and then seemed to pull himself together. "If I remember correctly, Phillip, you were the one begging me to knock you up."

"I really don't need to hear this," Skye said.

"Hey, you're going to be a big sister," Bucky said, elbowing her. Then, completely unfazed, he grinned at Phil. "Marry me?"

Phil didn't speak for thirty seconds. Then he said, "All right."

* * *

**Ending it there, because of reasons.**

**I wrote more than two thirds of chapter two, and wrote chapters three and four, in the last two days. More like day and a half, really. In the space of less than thirty-six, I've been on a writing binge. So I'm going to get some sleep now, and proofread tomorrow.**

**Night!**

**Edit: I've proofread this morning, and added that coda at the end, about Phil being pregnant.**


End file.
